HAGL center back eliminated: Height alone is not enough
On the morning of July 7, Coach Kim Sang-sik announced the first 8 names eliminated from the U.23 Vietnam team. Notably, there was HAGL center-back Dinh Quang Kiet.
The 1.95m defender was the only centre-back to be dropped in the first round of squad selection. Coach Kim Sang-sik is expected to drop five more players in the next round of selection, including one goalkeeper, two defenders and two attackers.
Dinh Quang Kiet in the U.23 Vietnam jersey
PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG
Despite possessing an impressive height of 1.95 m, Dinh Quang Kiet still has many limitations. The HAGL center back is only 18 years old, the youngest among the U.23 Vietnam defense squad. Dinh Quang Kiet has played for U.16 and U.18 Vietnam, however, he did not leave much of an impression in his defensive ability (blocking, marking, positioning, one-on-one competition...). Dinh Quang Kiet mainly stands out for his "tall" physique, and in some matches he was promoted to play as a striker in previous youth teams.
His lack of experience in both international and club competitions (he has only played 9 matches for HAGL in the V-League this season, all in the second phase) makes it difficult for Dinh Quang Kiet to compete. A youth training expert in Vietnam affirmed that Dinh Quang Kiet has a good physique, but needs to improve a lot in terms of football skills and competition experience.
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Meanwhile, coach Kim Sang-sik always demands a lot from the defenders, such as the ability to maintain defensive distance, one-on-one combat, passing the ball to develop the play from home, discipline... In particular, the stage of holding the ball to develop the play will bring a big challenge to the defenders of U.23 Vietnam.
Stepping stone for the future
However, 2 weeks of training with U.23 Vietnam brought valuable experience to Dinh Quang Kiet. The HAGL center back is young and has a lot of potential.
It is no coincidence that Dinh Quang Kiet was promoted to the first team by coach Le Quang Trai and technical director Vu Tien Thanh in the second phase of the V-League. At the age of 18, the nearly 2m tall central defender still has the opportunity to develop his skills and strengthen his character.
Fierce competition in U.23 Vietnam
PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG
There are players that coach Kim Sang-sik called up to serve the tournament, but there are also faces that the Korean coach has called up to test their level in order to prepare for the future. The 2007, 2008 generation of Dinh Quang Kiet, Tran Gia Bao need to experience more in the U.19, U.20 Southeast Asian and Asian tournaments to be tough enough to compete with the older generation.
Besides Dinh Quang Kiet, U.23 Vietnam also said goodbye to 7 other players, including Nguyen Quang Vinh (SLNA), Nguyen Dang Duong (The Cong Viettel ), Le Dinh Long Vu (SLNA), Dinh Xuan Tien (SLNA), Nguyen Le Phat (PVF), Le Van Thuan (Thanh Hoa), Nguyen Bao Long (PVF).
Coach Kim Sang-sik will eliminate 5 more players to finalize the official list of 23 players for the 2025 AFC U-23 Championship. The remaining players are still not safe.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/vi-sao-trung-ve-cao-gan-2-m-cua-hagl-bi-loai-khoi-u23-viet-nam-185250707183152186.htm
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